constitutional history

Readers are given a detailed overview of how the Constitution was born and how it has been amended throughout history.

Examines the contributions of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, and discusses the role of compromise in drafting the document that forms the basis of the American government.

The riveting story of how, in nineteenth-century America, a new set of political giants battled to complete the unfinished work of the Founding Fathers and to decide the future of our democracy. In the early 1800s, three young men strode onto the national stage, elected to Congress at a moment when the Founding Fathers were beginning to retire to their farms. Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, a champion orator known for his eloquence, spoke for the North and its business class. Henry Clay of Kentucky, as dashing as he was ambitious, embodied the hopes of the rising West. South Carolina's John Calhoun, with piercing eyes and an even more piercing intellect, defended the South and slavery. Together these heirs of Washington, Jefferson and Adams took the country to war, battled one another for the presidency, and set themselves the task of finishing the work the Founders had left undone. Each in his own way sought to remedy the two glaring flaws in the Constitution: its refusal to specify where authority ultimately rested, with the states or the nation; and its unwillingness to address the essential incompatibility of republicanism and slavery. They wrestled with these issues for four decades, arguing bitterly and hammering out political compromises that held the union together, but only just. Then, in 1850, when California moved to join the union as a free state, "the immortal trio" had one last chance to save the country from the real risk of civil war. But, by that point, they had never been further apart. Thrillingly and authoritatively, H. W. Brands narrates an epic American rivalry and the little-known drama of the dangerous early years of our democracy.

This book guides readers through the eighty-five essays that make up the Federalist Papers. It explores the notions that pushed the states toward ratification and promoted a solid federal government.

An introduction to the United States Constitution.

Discusses the framing of the United States Constitution, describing the hotly debated issues tackled in the document and such key players as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington.

An in-depth look at the leaders, battles, institutions, and ideals that contributed to the creation of the Bill of Rights.

"The highest law in the United States isn't written in modern English. Yet students are expected to know and understand much of what it says, as well as facts about how and why it was written. Readers are presented with the most important points of the history of the Constitution and its contents in this book. The main content gives simple explanations of important social studies curriculum topics, from the compromises needed to write the Constitution to the Bill of Rights. Fact boxes, a concluding timeline, and historical images offer readers even more detail needed for a full overview of the document.".

"How has the U.S. Constitution stayed relevant even though the world has changed so much since it was written? Readers discover the answer as they learn fascinating facts about the document that set up the U.S. government as we know it today. The informative main text is presented alongside helpful graphic organizers and detailed sidebars. Readers also learn about the U.S. Constitution by exploring carefully selected primary sources. They even get to study images of the original document itself. This creative approach to American history allows readers to see familiar social studies curriculum topics in an engaging, new light"--Provided by the publisher.